


Shelter

by HolmesianDeduction



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Cat, Dead animals, Experiments, Gen, Pre-Canon, sibling relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-22
Updated: 2011-12-22
Packaged: 2017-10-27 20:49:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/299906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HolmesianDeduction/pseuds/HolmesianDeduction
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A younger, inexperienced Sherlock makes a deadly mistake and Mycroft quite literally picks up the pieces.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shelter

              _Fuck._

_This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen._

_Fuck.  Fuck.  Fuck.  Fuck._

             Swallowing hard, Sherlock Holmes stared at the dead cat and felt his blood chill a little at the vacant, green-eyed stare that the grey tabby levelled in his direction.  His breath forming a white plume in front of him, the eleven-year-old’s mind raced at an uncomfortably fast speed as he tried to figure out what to do.

             “Sherlock.”  There was the crunch of fresh snow under dress shoes and then a sudden intake of breath behind and above him.  “Sherlock, what did you _do_?”

             His heart-rate going through the roof, Sherlock looked up at his brother, his entire carefully constructed explanation flying out the window in the face of Mycroft’s shocked, but somehow carefully sombre expression, and he found himself burying his face in the slightly uncomfortable texture of the older boy’s overcoat.

             “I didn’t _mean_  to.  It wasn’t supposed to happen.  Not like this.”

_I didn’t know the stupid thing would actually eat the poison—I always thought he was smarter than that.  I was certain he wouldn’t do it and then he **did.**_

             “Sherlock.”  Mycroft’s voice was soft.  “But why Leander?  Mummy _loves_  Leander best.”

             “It was an _accident_.”  Sherlock managed a whimper, and realised that he wasn’t sure how much of it was real and how much of it was manufactured.

             There was a long pause, and then finally: “Let’s take a look.”

             Kneeling side by side in the snow, the two brothers carefully examined the body of their mother’s favourite house cat.  Sherlock held perfectly still as his brother ruffled fur and peered at extremities, not realising until after the other boy stopped moving that he was holding his breath.

_Don’t be stupid.  Mycroft will know anyway.  He’s dull, but not stupid.  Not even close.  He’ll know exactly what happened._

             Mycroft sighed, looked at him.

_But he’ll know you didn’t mean for it to happen like this.  He’ll know you didn’t want to kill Mummy’s old cat.  He knows you loved Leander too.  Respected him even.  Everyone loved Leander._

             Mycroft swallowed and said something that made Sherlock freeze in place.  “She has to know about Leander.  She’ll worry otherwise.”

             Looking stricken, Sherlock stared at his brother pleadingly, and the older boy shook his head.  “I won’t tell her.”  He paused thoughtfully for a moment.

__  
             Don’t make me tell her I killed her cat.  Please.  She’ll hate me.  She’ll hate me and she’ll leave.  Just like everyone else.  Everyone else can leave.  I don’t care.  Just not Mummy too.  


             “I’ll tell her that I accidentally left the door cracked and he got out last night and died in the cold snap.”

             At this, Sherlock’s head snapped up and his pale, wide eyes met the deathly calm gaze of his brother as he carefully scooped the limp grey and black striped form into his arms and turning, trudged back to the house to tell his mother about how it was his fault, not that of the younger Holmes, that the most cherished of family pets was dead.


End file.
